Marionette
by Apparently not
Summary: It's been four years since Jake last saw Rose and what with dragon duties, Jake's feeling rather used. His solution? To abandon his current life style in order to find Rose.
1. Prologue

Be nice… this is my first fic, so please feel free to read and review.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything regarding the American Dragon: Jake Long series; I am however using the series as a stimulus for my own fiction. Had I any say in what happens in AD: JL, Jake and Rose would so be a couple before now…

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Marionette

My name is Jake Long, and I am the American Dragon; a proclaimed champion of champions, a guardian of the magical community of New York City and member of a race that holds themselves proudly amongst other magical creatures…

But I am no more than a Marionette, a mere puppet for those who require my abilities. To those I protect, who have become so depend on me, that it seems they can't lift a finger without my help. To my parents, who still ask me to baby sit my kid sister. Finally, to Lao Shi, my Dragon mentor. The one that kept me in training regardless of my feelings…

Needless to say, I feel used… far from a champion of champions, and more like a puppet for the people…

It's been four years since I last saw Rose, and damn… I miss her like hell. In these past four years I've done a lot of growing up. I gave up that whole 'Mac daddy game' business… what was I thinking… putting on some façade in order to get the attention of the opposite sex. That was a fool's game…

That I've come to terms with. However, I can't come to terms about Rose, I mean… Did she love me? Why did she let me go? Why did she leave me?

I can stay here and fire a load more questions that can't be answered, but I'm sick of feeling sorry for myself. I'm wasting my time in a depression when I could be out finding answers to all these damn questions that have plagued me for four years!

Well. Now you're up to speed. I've made my choice, and my choice is to ditch this 'life', in order to get answers for my troubles… the most important being Rose.

My name is Jake Long, and I am the American Dragon no longer. I am my own person, and I choose not to be what my mentor or the dragon council have labelled me as… From here on out, I choose the path that I will tread.

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Once again, please R+R. And try to keep comments friendly please…

And Cat? I'm sorry I kept you waiting so long…

P.S. Sorry to Re-post this story, but I noticed a majormistake in the previous version... My apologies...


	2. As one door closes

As one door closes…

I procrastinated with this story, and for this I am sorry. I shouldn't have kept people waiting, but nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this chapter. All comments and criticisms welcome.

Notes: I didn't intend for there to be so little dialogue in this chapter… I just felt as if I had to focus on the description of the situation (which granted, could have been done through dialogue) to get the plot right for the next few chapters.

The bad spelling towards the end was purposeful for the character, and not due to laziness, in case you were wondering or unsure.

This story is set as if all of AD: JL season 2 never happened (which was true at the time when I started this story…), with the events of the episode 'Hunted' in mind.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to the American Dragon: Jake Long series.

As one door closes…

It was a stormy day amongst the streets of New York City; the rain fell like a thousand arrows amidst an archaic battlefield and the unrelenting winds hammered against houses. Yet everyone carried out their daily lives and routines as if the weather didn't faze them at all. They got up, had breakfast, bade their partners and children a warm goodbye, went to work and came home again, seemingly blissfully unaware of the weather fighting against them.

There was only one who was not only aware, but found fault with these people carrying out their robotic lives, and he could do nothing but look down upon them, powerless to intervene.

Jake hung in the sky, unsure of what kept him tethered there. He looked up and thought he could make out what were thin strings attached all over his body, but he could not be sure; he tried in vain to struggle free, but could not break the invisible grasp that kept him there. Realising how hopeless he felt, Jake directed his attention to the streets of the city once more, watching the people that to him, were more like robots.

_Why don't they realise that__ there's more to life than this? _Jake pondered vehemently. _How the hell can be they happy just doing the same damn thing over and over again?_

"_Because they've accepted____that this is their lot in life."_ Boomed a voice from inside of him.

As Jake searched the sky in an attempt to find where the mysterious voice had come from, the rain beat harder and harder upon his body as he dangled there; his once spiky black and green hair lay limp upon his face, covering his eyes.

"Who are you? Where are you!?" Jake shouted, trying once more to break free from the invisible bonds that kept him there.

"_Such a silly question to ask…"_ spoke the voice in a patronising manner, much to Jake's annoyance. _"I'm you. More importantly, I am the nagging voice of realisation that you are FINALLY waking up to! Oh and by the way? I wouldn't bother struggling free. You're here for the long haul"_. The voice concluded.

"…Fine." Jake said stubbornly, and with that, Jake hesitantly stopped struggling, curious to know what the voice had in store for him. Oddly, as he did so, the rain seemed to soften somewhat. "What do you want from me exactly? Why am I stuck here?"

"_Good boy! Now we're getting somewhere!"_ the patronising voice continued. _"I am only here, to help you finish your most recent realisation."_

Jake's head shot up immediately, his heartbeat quickening with the fear of uncertainty. He wasn't aware that he had even started making any realisations, let alone be close to finishing one.

"And what realisation would that be?" Jake said with every ounce of confidence he could muster, despite the fear he felt.

"_The realisation…"_ the voice paused, gestured down towards the city and continued, _"…that you, like all the people down there, have no greater calling in their life. What they are living now, is all they will ever know."_ Spoke the voice, with airy notes of pleasure and delight.

Jake couldn't believe it. He WOULDN'T believe it. How could he have let himself slip anywhere near a 'truth' like this? The confusion, anger and doubt he felt were starting to make him want to vomit, but before he could argue back at the voice, he thought he could hear yet more voices, only this time familiar. _No, _thought Jake, _it can't be, it just CAN'T be…_ No sooner had he thought this when the voices grew louder and louder still, until he could make out what they were saying:

"_Jake! Can you walk me to school? Mom__my and Daddy said I'm too young to walk alone…"_

"_Hey there Jake-a-roo! You ready for Cougar Scout patrol?"_

"_Sweetie can you watch your sister tonight? Your father and I are going to a show."_

"_Jake! You are late for training! Hurry to shop, NOW!"_

"_American Dragon, you must save us!"_

These voices buzzed all around Jake like a swarm of angry hornets, assaulting his every nerve. "Dragon up!" he cried, but nothing happened. "DRAGON UP!" He cried once more, but again nothing happened. It seemed as if he was doomed to just hang there. "What is this? Sphinx hair?" he shouted, aimlessly.

"_Nothing of the sort!"_ returned the voice inside of him once more. _"Your powers are useless here, as you are trying to run away from the truth, Jake."_ Jake looked thoroughly perplexed, but still, the voice continued, _"These voices you hear are all you will ever know. Just as everyone else's calling lies with their family or work, your calling is to be a marionette for the people. THAT, Jake, is what keeps you tethered here." _The voice finished once more on this dark note.

"What!? No, that ca-"

"_The only difference," _interrupted the voice, _"is that they have accepted the mediocre and mundane, whereas you haven't… at least, not yet."_

"Not EVER!" Jake screamed back. Once more, the rain beat hard upon Jake's body, almost as if telling him without saying _'accept your fate child, and the pain will go away'_. But Jake wouldn't accept this. He knew that there was more to his life than what he could see; he didn't need the eye of the dragon to see that. He summoned all the strength he could and shouted, "Go ahead and let all the freaking rain pour! I will NEVER accept that this is all my life will be! You hear me!? NEVER!" He exclaimed with a passion and tenacity that could rival the gods. He stared up at the sky, where the strings dangled down, and tried once more to break free. He launched a hand upwards, attempting to grab at one of the strings, but before his hands could take hold, his body fell completely limp. He was unsure of what was happening, but he felt a tremendous rush of air blast through him…

He was falling through the sky. His lifeless body falling like… falling like… a marionette. A marionette whose strings have just been let go by the manipulator. The horror of this thought was nothing compared to the horror of the ever approaching surface that Jake was speeding towards.

The wait was agonising. The terrible feeling of knowing what will happen, but having to wait for it. Jake fell through a final set of clouds that blocked his view of the ground below; at last he could he see it, he could see the area where he was going to land.

He didn't scream. Why would he need to? He already knew what was about to happen, and knew that screaming wasn't going to help anything. He waited, savouring these last few moments to think about one of the few people that truly mattered to him. Rose. _Rose, _he thought. _I never saw your face again after you let me go. I'm sorry I couldn't find you sooner._ He was literally metres away from the ground at this point; he closed his eyes and then…

"EURGHHHH!"

All of sudden, he felt a tremendous strain against his body; something was pulling him back up. The impact made him vomit, and he expected to hear it hit the floor, but… nothing. He opened his eyes quickly, and saw that he was surrounded by what seemed to be nothingness. He was, once again, suspended in the air. Only this time when he looked up, he could clearly see white strings attached all over his body, and at the very top, the people that have used him all along, pulling him this way and that.

Jake Long. A marionette for the ages.

His attention was soon grabbed by the fact that a large curtain was rising in front of him, revealing what seemed to be a stage, accompanied by an awaiting audience.

"What's going on n-", before he could finish his sentence, several bright lights shone on him, blinding his view of what was in front of him. He struggled and squinted to try and get a glimpse of what was happening, but it was no use. He could feel his body being jerked around from the strings attached to him, and on top of that…

"_Ladies and Gentleman! I present to you, Jake Long! A marionette for the ages!"_

The voice inside of him had returned once again. Not that this would matter for long, as the voice was soon drowned out by the faceless audience's raucous laughter. He felt helpless once more, considering submission to what seemed like inescapable fate.

"_Give it up Jakey." _The voice inside of him jeered once more. _"You were destined for this life, and there is NO escaping it!"_ the voice finished, ringing with belittling glee.

"No…" Jake uttered softly. The voice's words burned inside of him. He wanted to be free, to make his own choices and to not be a lifeless puppet. "No." He felt his body's control returning to him slowly, brimming with renewed resilience. "No!" His body stopped moving to the will of the strings, and the audience stopped laughing, quietening with murmurs of discomfort. With one final push of strength, Jake bellowed "NO! YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHO TO BE!"

The audience gasped at Jake's outburst, and could only watch as he tried to free himself once more. _Focus Jake, _he told himself. _Concentrate on what you've got to do._ With that in mind, he quickly reached for the strings above him, and with one swift and triumphant pull, he at last managed to free himself.

He found himself falling once more, only this time he was in complete control of his body. Again he saw the floor on which he was about to land, but this time, he was ready. "Wings of the Dragon!" He cried, and at once, two large red wings appeared on his back. He spread his wings out fully, and floated gracefully to the ground, beneath him, almost like an angel… almost.

"It's at times like these that I'm glad I'm the American Dragon." He said part seriously, part jokingly. He touched the ground and turned as best he could to see his wings. "Thank you." He said sincerely (although unsure why, as he knew that he was always at the controls), and then let them disappear.

He found himself in what seemed to be corridor; he saw three open doors and a bright light at the end. Although he couldn't be sure, he thought he could make out a figure standing in the light. Cautiously, he walked along, approaching the first door.

Jake had no idea what to expect when he saw what was standing in the first doorway. Could be a monster? Could it be nothing? Could it be more self doubt? No… it was his family.

His mother, father and sister just stood there staring at him. Not smiling or frowning, just staring at him. "Mom… Dad… Haley…" He began, starting to feel guilt about what he was going to say, "I'm sorry, but… I just can't live this life anymore." There were a thousand and one things more that he wanted to say, but he couldn't find the right words to make a sentence. He stared mindfully at the door, and closed it gently upon his family.

He turned his head towards the second door, and with haste, made for it. He gradually peered round to see his Grandfather, Lao Shi and his faithful animal guardian, Fu Dog staring back at him.

Jake felt a little more confident about what to say this time, and with compassion, said "Lao s-… Gramps? Fu?" Jake felt that such formalities could be ignored in a situation like this, "thank you for all your training and teaching. I would be nothing without you". He bowed slightly to his dragon master and his guardian, and closed the door gently upon them as well.

He then made his way to the third and final door, feeling happier now that he'd confronted his demons. Throwing caution to the wind, he briskly stepped up to the third door and looked inside.

He couldn't see anything, until…

"_JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!"_

The voice had returned once more, so loud this time that it bowled Jake completely off of his feet and into the wall opposite the door. In a daze, Jake looked up, realising that he was not free of the voice just yet.

"_You will never be rid of me! Every time you doubt yourself, every time you feel hopeless and __every time you fail, I'LL BE THERE!"_ bellowed the voice in no longer a patronising, but menacing tone.

Jake picked himself from the floor, and carefully brushed away the dirt that had fallen on him, at the same time, smoothing out a wrinkle that had formed on his jacket. He did not shout (he felt no need to), but calmly said, "Your door, is by far, the easiest to close". With that, he walked forward solidly, reached out his hand and went to close the third door.

"_JAAAAAAAAAAAA-" _The voice had been cut off. For how long, Jake was unsure, but for now at least, Jake could turn his attention to the light towards the end of the corridor.

He turned and faced it, walking towards it attentively. As he drew closer to the light, the figure standing there became ever clearer. _It can't be… _thought Jake. He quickened his pace towards the light, the figure becoming clearer and clearer with every step he took, until finally, he saw the girl that had he loved, the girl he had spent so much time with, the girl who had left him four years ago.

"R-R-Rose?" Jake said hesitantly.

Rose nodded, wearing that same warm smile that she only wore for Jake.

"Rose!" Jake said, half astonished, half elated. He rushed towards her, ripe with things to say. When he reached her however, she just lifted a hand, obviously able to see that Jake was about to explode with questions and conversation. Jake, utterly puzzled and gasping for breath looked at her with childish curiosity. She lowered her hand, still smiling.

"Times are changing Jake," She said softly. "and when change comes, will you be ready for it?" she asked.

"Change? W-what do you mean?" he replied, still perplexed.

She walked up to him, wrapping her arms around him. Jake felt obliged to do the same, although did so with considerable awkwardness. She leaned close to his ear and whispered:

"Change, Jake… Change… Change… Change…" her voice died out, over echoed by a loud horn; _Sounds like a train… Where am I? _Thought Jake.

A bright light encompassed them both, and before Jake knew it, Rose, and the corridor had disappeared.

"Spare sum change 'bud?"

Jake awoke with a start, gasping for breath while quickly surveying his surroundings. _Dark tunnel? Graffiti? A bum?_ Jake let out a sigh and slunk bank down in his seat, watching what he had heard and seen just minutes ago, passing him by. _The_ _subway… Must have dozed off._ He concluded reservedly.

The train that had awoke him from his dream had now vanished from sight, leaving only the bum in front of him.

"Sheeeeyooot! All's I was askin' for was some change! Ya didn' have to scare the pants of me boy!" slurred the bum. Maybe it was the fact that bum was particularly smelly, or that Jake had scared the living daylights out of him, but either way, Jake decided to take pity on him. He rummaged in his pocket and and pulled out whatever he could find.

"Hmmm… Five dollars and… 78 cents." He handed it over to the bum, much to his delight, who pocketed it instantly.

"Thank you kindly boy!" he slurred again, extending his hand out for Jake to shake. Reluctantly (and whilst hiding a grimace), Jake shook it, and the bum invited himself to the seat next to Jake. Rather covertly, he moved away from the bum slightly; he was after all, rather pungent.

"You know somethin'?" The bum began, "You were havin' a bad dream! Now I ain't no doctor or nothin…"

_No, really? _Jake mused, the ghost of a smile flitting across his face.

"…but I know's you were 'cause you were all twitchy and stuff." The bum ended proudly, as if he had just announced a miracle cure.

"You think?" Jake said sarcastically; he need not have though, as it seemed to go unnoticed by the bum.

"Yeah I do! Know what else?"

Jake raised his head in a sense of false curiosity; he was merely humouring him, letting him have his moment of 'glory'.

Tapping against his temple, he said, "Dreams is the ol' tickerbox's way of sortin' through all the stuff you go through every day! I'm guessin' by the looks of it you've gone through some serious stuff as of late. Amirite? He ended abruptly, expecting an answer.

Jake was utterly flabbergasted. He could not believe that this bum had said what he just said. Words that seemed to make his dream fall into place effortlessly. _Being dangled by strings, breaking free, finding Rose… it all makes sen-_ Jake's trail of thought would have to wait, as the bum was adamant on getting an answer.

"Well? Was I?" He said with the eagerness of a kid at Christmas.

Amazed at what he was about to say, Jake told him, "Yes… You were. You were completely right!"

"Well I'll be! Maybe I should get myself into doctorin' school after all! You know, my Ma said I'd never…" The bum carried on regaling Jake with his life story, not that it mattered much to Jake. The nugget of wisdom he paid five dollars and 78 cents for though on the other hand, was well worth listening to. Suddenly everything seemed to make sense to Jake. He knew now that he was in control of his own destiny, and what he must do to achieve it.

It was in those few moments that Jake cobbled together a plan for getting what he wanted, and what he had to do in order to come to it. He understood that if he wanted to find Rose, and get answers to the questions that have plagued him for four years, he would have to leave his family and New York life behind, and set off for in search for Rose alone.

_I'm ready for it. I'll find you Rose, this I promise you._

The subway train pulled in to the station, and the driver announced _"End of the Line, all change."_

"Well", began the bum once more, "I guess this is were we part boy." He looked almost sad to say goodbye, "Say, 'case I ever meet you again… What's your name?"

Jake smiled. He couldn't see any harm in befriending the bum (although perhaps causing harm to his nostrils). He held out his hand and said warmly, "Jake. Yours?"

The bum shook his hand. "Rufus." He smiled a sincere smile, and bade Jake goodbye, unsure whether or not their paths would cross again.

Jake looked around the station and watched as the train that carried him and Rufus there leave to do its journeys once more. As he began to leave the platform, the words of the driver stuck in his mind. _End of the line… All change…_

_End of the line… All change…_

_So true__._ He thought to himself.

_All so very__ true._


End file.
